May 1997 — 1997-07-01

State unemployment rates generally showed little movement in May, as 41 states recorded shifts of 0.3 percentage point or less from April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national jobless rate was essentially unchanged at 4.8 percent in May. Nonfarm payroll employment rose in 44 states over the month. The range of unemployment rates among the states narrowed in May, as no state registered a rate of 7.0 percent or more. At 6.9 percent, Alaska reported the highest jobless rate, followed by the District of Columbia (6.8 percent) and California, Louisiana, New Mexico, and New York (all 6.3 percent). Nebraska had the lowest unemployment rate in the nation (2.3 percent), followed by South Dakota (2.6 percent) and New Hampshire (2.8 percent). Ten other states recorded rates below 4.0 percent. A total of 27 states had rates below the U.S. average, while 20 states and the District of Columbia reported higher rates.